


Blue and Yellow

by CeruleanTactician



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Jedi Culture, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29257197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeruleanTactician/pseuds/CeruleanTactician
Summary: Quinlan had told Obi-Wan that under no circumstances was he taking a padawan.
Relationships: Aayla Secura & Quinlan Vos
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Blue and Yellow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skatzaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skatzaa/gifts).



Quinlan had told Obi-Wan that under no circumstances was he taking a padawan. He had.

At least, not for a very long time. After Quinlan was Knighted, he insisted that all he wanted was to enjoy being an independent Knight for a while. Sure, he loved Tholme, and did miss him more than a little for the first few weeks, but he did enjoy no longer having the man breathing down his neck all the time. He also enjoyed getting to spend time in the private company of a few other young Knights. He’d gotten to take a few missions by himself. Really, he found that he liked independence quite a bit.

But after his Knighting ceremony and the small celebration with his friends afterwards, when Quinlan had confidently told the quartermaster that he wouldn’t be needing a padawan suite in his quarters. The old Cerean Master had looked him up and down, raised her eyebrows higher than Quinlan had previously thought possible, and then assigned him quarters with a padawan suite.

“You can use it for extra storage, Knight Vos,” she said serenely.

Quinlan blinked. "...thank you, Master.”

* * *

When Quinlan was fourteen, he went with his Master on a mission to Ryloth. There had been a groundquake, and he and Tholme had been looking for survivors. It had been an terrible mission, one that left nightmarish memories in the Force clinging what felt like nearly everything he touched for weeks until they left. That first day, Quinlan had been filthy and exhausted by the time he felt a small, faint presence buried under rubble that had once been a home. He had somehow used the Force to lift the rubble, so drained that he was barely able to stand on his feet. It was worth it when he found the little Twi’lek girl, somehow not at all hurt. He had gently lifted young Aayla out, and then she clung to his robes for the next two hours.

Aayla had been exhausted and terrified- she’d been trapped under the rubble for over twelve hours- and yet she had refused to leave with the other rescue workers, had insisted on staying until Quinlan had found every one of her little cousins- all more injured that Aayla was, but still alive. It had been the fact that Quinlan felt that she was lending him strength in the Force as she grasped the edge of his robe that told him that she was Force-sensitive.

The Seekers always said that there was a connection between them and those they Found and brought to the Order. And Quinlan could feel it- there was a small thread in the Force that connected him and Aayla. Something that could become something more.

He’d kept an eye on Aayla afterwards because of that connection, but also because he felt responsible for her. After he told Tholme that she was Force-sensitive, her family had been overjoyed at the idea of one of their own obtaining so prestigious a role as becoming a Jedi. In the crèche, she had became a member of Clawmouse Clan. Quinlan got used to visiting the crèche. Though every time he did, he would immediately be crowded by excited younglings who would ask him what it was like to be a padawan, to go on missions, and then ask for a lightsaber demonstration. He kept up on how Aayla was doing with her initiate classes, and her crèchemaster eventually came to greet him by name.

Aayla had joined the Order at a relatively late age, and she had never dropped her Rylothi accent in favor of the more common Coruscanti accent of her peers like most initiates eventually did. In fact, for the first few months in the crèche, she’d only known a little Basic, and had brightened whenever a Twi’lek Master who spoke Ryl approached her.

Quinlan’s Ryl was, admittedly, not great. Languages hadn’t ever been his strong suit. When Aayla’s Basic had gotten good enough, she had told him, very graciously, that she would _alway help another Jedi in need of tutoring, Padawan Vos_. 

He was even roped into doing a few psychometry demonstrations for Aayla’s and her clanmates, which mainly consisted of Quinlan being handed various toys- plush Tookas and little balls, usually. Then Quinlan would use psychometry to point out which youngling it belonged to and then he would tell them about the object's history. It made him feel a bit like a cheap magician performing on a street corner, but the younglings were so delighted by his demonstrations that Quinlan couldn’t bring himself to refuse when he had time.

It was worth it by the way their faces lit up when he guessed correctly. Especially Aayla’s.

To be fair to the Temple gossips, what Quinlan was doing- keeping track of Aayla’s progress, visiting her clan- was exactly what was expected to be done if a Master or Knight was interested in taking an initiate as their padawan. The fact that Quinlan was still only a senior padawan had given them something a bit more novel to talk about than, _did you hear Master So-and-so visited the créche today? I thought she said she wasn’t taking another padawan?_

* * *

Tholme had been dropping not-so-subtle hints about wanting a grandpadawan since- well, since his Knighting, really. But after some time had passed, Quinlan decided to ask him outright.

He sat cross-legged in front of the table where he and his Master had taken tea for the entire course of his apprenticeship. It was always the same blend- some vaguely earthy thing Tholme had been getting from a vendor on the lower levels of Coruscant since before Quinlan had been born. He was only a little surprised to find himself that he had missed it in the time since he had been Knighted.

“Do you really think I’m ready to have a padawan? To be responsible for a youngling like that?” Quinlan asked, setting down his cup. 

Tholme took a sip of his tea before answering. “Hm. Padawan of mine, that is a question only you can answer.”

“I know, but I would like your opinion, Master,” said Quinlan.

“Why don’t you think you’re ready?”

Quinlan shrugged. “I was only Knighted a few months ago. Any initiate out there looking for a Master can find a better candidate than me.”

“Are you referring to Initiate Secura?” Tholme asked.

“Who else, Master? Everyone in the Temple seems to know everything about it anyways. And- Aayla is a talented initiate, and she’s still a little young for apprenticeship anyways. There are plenty of experienced Masters who would be lucky to have her as their padawan.” Quinlan said.

“There is a rather... apparent thread in the Force connecting you and her.”

Quinlan shook his head. “I know, I know it’s the _will of the Force_. I've noticed it too, you know.”

“A sign from the Force doesn’t mean you have to do anything, Quinlan. We are servants of the Force, yes, but we are sentient beings with free will as well. Our destinies are of our own making. If you do not feel you are ready to take Initiate Secura as your padawan learner, I am certain another qualified Master will do so at some point."

Tholme took another sip of tea, still gazing at Quinlan thoughtfully. "But you were promoted to Knighthood for a reason, and one of those reasons was that you were judged fit by me and by the Council to teach another.”

Quinlan didn’t respond and looked down at the table.

“However, I think there is one question you haven’t answered yet. Quinlan, do you want to guide Initiate Secura to become a Jedi Knight?”

Quinlan was silent for a long moment and found himself curiously unsurprised by the answer he gave. 

“I do,” said Quinlan firmly.

“Then I suppose you know what you should do,” Tholme smiled. “Now I think the only thing left is ask Initiate Secura about her views on the matter.”

* * *

Quinlan went to see Aayla’s crèchemaster the next day.

“Hello, Master. I’d like to speak to you to see if you think Initiate Secura is ready for promotion to padawan status,” Quinlan had said, who had an entire speech prepared in his head.

“Knight Vos,” she said pleasantly. “As I’m sure you’re aware, Aayla completed her minimum coursework for promotion to padawan status three months ago.”

She reached for a datapad.

“Coincidentally, I already had prepared a form here just in case a Knight or Master was interested in taking her as their apprentice- you can sign there and there, Knight Vos, I’ve already filled out those parts for you-”

Quinlan didn’t roll his eyes in front of Aayla’s crèchemaster, but it was a close thing. He'd gotten her approval, after all. He nodded politely and took the datapad.

The only person who seemed surprised that he had decided to take Aayla as his padawan was, well, Aayla. She stared up at him with wide eyes. He could feel her nervous excitement in the Force.

“Do you really mean it? You want me to be your padawan?” asked Aayla.

“Yes, Aayla,” Quinlan said softly. “If you’ll have me, I would be honored to be your Master.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small string of Silka padawan beads. The string was mostly gray, waiting to be filled with colored beads and small trinkets as Aayla learned and accomplished more as a padawan, but at the top there were already two small beads- one blue and one yellow.

“Yes! I mean, I would be honored too... _Master_.” Aayla said, looking down at the beads with such a bright smile that Quinlan couldn’t help grinning too.

“Alright, kid.” Quinlan said.

There would be time for paperwork, for getting the Council’s official assent, for taking all of the official oaths later. Right now, this was good enough for Quinlan.

* * *

The next time Obi-Wan made it back to the Temple, his hair was still slightly singed from whatever mission he and his insane Master had been on. Seriously- he had no idea how nearly every mission Obi-Wan and his Master went on managed to either start or stop a war or cause an intergalactic incident. All of this was despite the fact that Master Jinn was supposed to be a diplomat- the kind of Jedi who specifically didn’t solve all their problems with a lightsaber.

Obi-Wan had walked into the Temple dining hall, and then smirked when he saw Aayla, absently twirling her Silka beads with one hand, sitting with Quinlan, Luminara, and Bant. Bant had been completely delighted by Aayla. Which was totally appropriate in Quinlan's opinion, considering Aayla was, in fact, delightful. Luminara, who had been Knighted by her Master only a few weeks prior, seemed gently amused by Aayla's tales of her friends in the crèche, and what her clan's trip to Ilum had been like- eventful, but first trips to Ilum always were. If Quinlan knew his friends, which he did, they were probably going to tell her embarrassing stories about him the second he turned his back on them.

“Padawan Secura,” said Obi-Wan, leaning down to shake Aayla’s hand like the nerd he was. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Senior Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Aayla as she took his hand.

“What a polite padawan you’ve found, Quinlan.” said Obi-Wan as he passed him, a smirk on his face as he sat next to Bant.

Quinlan grinned back at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan could be smug all he wanted. Aayla was worth it.

* * *

Psychometry was a rare skill, even among the Jedi. Quinlan knew all of the others gifted with the ability in the Order by name, from an old now-retired Lannik Master to a young, red-haired human boy who had joined the Order only recently. They gave each other advice, and on occasion functioned as mentors.

Psychometry allowed Quinlan to know better than most that there is nothing really new in the Jedi Temple. The Order had been on Coruscant for thousands of years, and thousands of Jedi have roamed the halls of the Temple before he had ever been born. It had never really bothered him because it was something he had always been able to see and feel. Quinlan's psychometry was something he took seriously- he had learned the hard way at a young age the consequences of not doing so. He usually kept his gloves on as an extra layer of protection, but when he didn’t, the occasional flash of Jedi long passed on into the Force had always felt more comforting than intrusive.

It had taken him a while to get used to his new quarters. There had been the need for a serious dusting and a clean-out when he had first arrived- the droids who kept unused wings of the Temple clean only came by unused rooms every few months or so. The last Master-Padawan pair to live in their quarters felt distant in the Force. Decades past, perhaps more. But he sensed peace, he sensed companionship, with the occasional flashes of a dutiful red-skinned Togruta Master and her padawan. Quinlan could still tell which old table they ate their meals together at, the same table where the Togruta Master had helped her padawan with her coursework.

It had been, perhaps, a not so subtle sign from the Force for Quinlan, he thought as Aayla laid sprawled on the couch, flicking through a galactic history textbook on her datapad. Or maybe just a coincidence. That was the thing about the Force- one often couldn't tell either way.

Gradually, over weeks and months together, the traces of the Togruta Master and her padawan faded, until the only thing he sensed when he took his gloves off was Aayla.

Quinlan looked at the chubby-cheeked twelve-year-old Twi’lek asleep in what had been his storage room. Aayla’s lekku twitched slightly as she stirred in her sleep, burrowing under her blankets. He felt such a fondness for her- and such a sense of responsibility to do right by her. Quinlan wondered if all Masters feel like this about their charges. Had Tholme felt like this about the little troublemaker Kiffar boy he'd taken as his apprentice?

Quinlan could be a independent Knight working on his own again, someday. But he would only have a chance to be Aayla’s Master once.


End file.
